How Long Do Roasted Coffee Beans Last and How to Brew Them After Their Best-By Date for Better Taste?

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Introduction

Whenever FrontStreet Coffee's beans go on sale, many enthusiasts can't resist stocking up on multiple bags... However, buying too much means they can't finish them within a month, and later when brewing, the coffee grounds no longer show the hamburger-shaped blooming state, and the flavors become less distinct! What to do? Throwing them away would be such a waste. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will teach you how to brew coffee beans that have passed their optimal flavor period.

The Flavor Period of Coffee Beans

Coffee beans have a long shelf life but a short optimal flavor period!

For pour-over coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee believes the optimal flavor period is within 4-30 days. Generally, coffee's flavor isn't at its best immediately after roasting. Freshly roasted coffee beans contain more gases inside, making it difficult for flavor compounds to be extracted. Therefore, there's usually a 4-7 day resting period to release some of these gases. Coffee beans that have passed their optimal flavor period don't mean they're no longer drinkable, but rather that even when stored properly, the coffee's flavors will still dissipate. So after 30 days, coffee beans might exhibit insufficient aroma and blandness. Putting aside flavor and aroma, roasted coffee beans have a shelf life of 365 days.

Do All Coffee Beans Have a 4-30 Day Optimal Flavor Period?

Not all coffee beans have an optimal flavor period of exactly 4-30 days; this is just a general reference timeframe. In reality, the optimal flavor period of coffee is essentially the degassing time of the coffee beans. A longer optimal flavor period means the coffee beans degas for a longer time. Of course, the optimal flavor period is also influenced by factors such as coffee bean quality, roasting techniques, and storage methods.

What Storage Methods Can Slow Down Flavor Dissipation?

One-Way Degassing Valve Sealed Bags

Freshly roasted coffee bean packaging typically comes with a one-way degassing valve. The principle of the one-way degassing valve is that when coffee beans continuously release carbon dioxide inside the package, creating a certain pressure, the gas pushes open the valve to escape. Since the valve only opens when the pressure inside the package is higher than outside, it expels gas while preventing external air and moisture from entering. Using the original coffee bean packaging for storage is an excellent choice when you don't have a sealed container, but remember to press the sealing strip properly!

Vacuum Sealed Containers

Vacuum sealed containers work by pressing the degassing button after placing the lid to expel oxygen from inside the container and enter a sealed state. At this point, the coffee beans continue to release oxygen inside the container, which cannot escape. Under the pressure of the vacuum environment, carbon dioxide will envelop the coffee beans, thereby slowing down the dissipation of coffee flavors.

Important! Regardless of which storage method you use, be sure to avoid high temperatures, humidity, and reduce contact with oxygen!

Heat accelerates the volatilization of aromatic compounds in coffee beans (aroma). The inner layer of coffee bean packaging sold by FrontStreet Coffee uses aluminum foil, whose main function is to reflect light, but it doesn't provide true thermal insulation, so store coffee beans away from heat sources. Humidity can cause coffee beans to become damp! Damp coffee beans are prone to spoilage, producing off-flavors like mustiness, which directly affects the coffee's taste performance. Therefore, a dry environment helps maintain coffee beans' freshness better. When we open the package to take out coffee beans, the beans remaining in the package/container should be sealed as quickly as possible to minimize contact with air, which can slow down the oxidation process to some extent.

How to Brew Coffee Beans Past Their Optimal Flavor Period?

Generally, coffee beans within two months still retain soluble flavor compounds quite well. What they lack after passing the optimal flavor period are volatile flavor compounds. Using normal brewing methods can easily bring out bitter notes like spices and almonds, so FrontStreet Coffee will now teach you how to adjust your brewing approach for coffee beans that have passed their optimal flavor period. Although this brewing method won't restore the rich, full flavors of the optimal period, it largely avoids the appearance of undesirable flavor flaws.

Begin with the first water pour for blooming, pouring 25g of water and letting it bloom for 18 seconds. You can observe that after water contacts the coffee grounds, no "hamburger-shaped" blooming occurs (reducing blooming time rather than eliminating the process entirely because although the coffee bed doesn't expand, there's still some gas present). For the second pour, start from the center in small circles to push the coffee bed upward, allowing fine particles to adhere to the filter wall and preventing them from sinking and clogging the drainage hole. You can see tiny bubbles being flushed out. Continue this pour until reaching 150g. When the water level drops to halfway, begin the final pour, using medium water flow to quickly circle and create a vortex to "activate" the coffee bed, coaxing out flavor compounds. Pour until reaching 225g, then stop pouring. Wait until the coffee liquid has flowed into the server below, then remove the filter cup to finish extraction. The total extraction time should be approximately 1 minute 35 seconds to 1 minute 50 seconds.

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473